The new Emirati Duchamp

The Emirati artist Hassan Sharif is famed for creating art from seemingly everyday objects. From spoons to boxes, the artist re-imagines the items and brings them to life as art, and much like the French artists Marcel Duchamp, Sharif has caused shockwaves in and out of the art world.

Emirati [2]artist Hassan Sharif has created art out of every day, seemingly mundane objects. He uses bent antique spoons, torn ropes and rusty boxes to depict life and society in artistic form.

Born in 1951, Sharif began his journey into the realm of art as a caricaturist armed with a degree in Theater Design from Kuwait [3]University. He went on to graduate from the Byam Shaw School of Art in London and has since exhibited his work internationally, including art galleries in Cuba, Holland, Egypt and Germany. Despite his success on the international scene, Sharif has found time to play a significant role in the UAE’s burgeoning art scene. He founded the Emirates Fine Art Society, and the Art Atelier in the Youth Theater and Arts complex[4] in Dubai. Perhaps most interestingly he is a member of the Flying House UAE, an institution which promotes contemporary Emirati artists.Sharif adds to the UAE’s art scene by producing artworks inspired by the city itself. He uses components sourced from every corner of the city. His work lies decidedly within the realm of conceptual art, art which has a deeper meaning beyond the façade of its aesthetic. In the early 1980’s, this shocked viewers in the region - anything beyond traditional paintings were not considered as art. However Sharif pioneered the use of everyday objects in his creations and claims that he ‘turns simple events into a piece of art’.Sharif’s work forces the audience to re-evaluate life and the society around them, to ask questions and explore their surroundings. To read more and view Hassan Sharif’s art please follow the link:http://enawafeth.alarabiya.net/content/city’s-trash-genuine-portrait-its-status[5]